Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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912. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payments will issue in respect of the 2013 agri-environment option scheme; if he will consider introducing a new scheme in 2014 as it will allow farmers build on the success of the REP scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46506/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I anticipate that payments for the AEOS 3 Scheme will commence in the first quarter of 2014. Necessary checks must be carried out on all applications before any payment can issue. While there are no plans to re-open the Agri Environment Options Scheme for new applications in 2014, the revised CAP 2014 – 2020 requires that the new Rural Development Plan must include an agri-environment scheme.

The process for the design of new schemes under the new CAP is well underway. Under the current draft Rural Development Regulation, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine must undertake an ex ante evaluation, a public consultation, a SWOT analysis (Strenghts, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) a needs assessment, a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) and an appropriate assessment (AA) in developing our Rural Development Programme. An independent evaluator has been contracted to prepare the ex-ante evaluation report, SEA and AA and to advise on the SWOT analysis.

An initial consultation process was launched in 2012, and written submissions were received from over 80 stakeholders. These submissions have been analysed by my Department and have fed into the development of the SWOT and needs analyses. A second consultation was held in July, where stakeholders attended a full day workshop on the draft SWOT and needs analyses. Based on the outcome of these processes, the drafting of the new programme is being advanced in the Department, and it is intended that further stakeholder consultation will form part of this.